A Ben Simmons trade has to happen at some point. It’s going to happen and while there are surely players that will benefit from Simmons not being on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster anymore, there will be those whose game will suffer from his absence.
That isn’t to say that these players can’t be successful without Simmons. However, without him on the court, their production will suffer and it will take some time for them to adjust their game as a result.
3 players who will hurt from Simmons trade: Shake Milton
Despite playing mostly backup point guard last season, it’s fair to say that it’s not Shake Milton‘s natural position. He’s more of a combo guard than a natural point guard and played much better while sharing the floor with Simmons.
Until Simmons gets traded, it appears that Milton will be taking on that role again this upcoming season. Milton isn’t great at creating offensive opportunities for others and is barely average at creating his own shot.
Now it’s completely possible that last season was a fluke and he has a bounce-back year. However, it’s clear that he’s at his best when he can play off the ball at times. In the past, I wrote that the point guard depth needs to improve, especially if Simmons plans not to report to the team. That reality is real now and the Sixers must plan according.
Milton might be able to be a stop-gap solution at the backup point guard position, but he’s not the long-term solution for the role. Especially, if he’s not making shots at a super-efficient rate. Simmons being gone has put him in a role that he’s not well equipped to thrive in.